<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Drifting Over by Digigal_transbian</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25368997">Drifting Over</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digigal_transbian/pseuds/Digigal_transbian'>Digigal_transbian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Digigal Main WIPs [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gem Fusion, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Episode: s06e11 In Dreams, Steven Universe Needs Therapy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:35:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25368997</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digigal_transbian/pseuds/Digigal_transbian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot confronts Steven about his dreams and makes a decision.</p><p>An AU where Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth help Steven work through his problems after Peridot witnesses Steven's nightmares in "In Dreams".</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bismuth &amp; Lapis Lazuli &amp; Peridot (Steven Universe), Bismuth &amp; Steven Universe, Lapis Lazuli &amp; Steven Universe, Peridot &amp; Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Digigal Main WIPs [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772488</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. From Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ocean crashes against the beach, the sound a hypnotic and natural static. The sun is high in the sky, rays pounding against the white sand relentlessly. Light pours in through Steven's windows, spilling onto the boy and Peridot. Silence plagues the gem and the hybrid, neither sure of what to say after witnessing the boy's nightmares.</p><p> </p><p>Peridot is the first to break the silence, "Steven… you really feel like you can't be a friend without having to fix something?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah…" Steven replies, looking down and away from the green gem.</p><p> </p><p>"Why?" She asks, genuinely curious with care in her voice.</p><p> </p><p>"It's all I've ever done, just fixing everyone's problems." Steven explains, "How do I do anything that isn't helping others?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not expert with emotions, but this isn't right, you know." Peridot says quietly, "Have you talked to the others about this?"</p><p> </p><p>"The others?"</p><p> </p><p>"You know," Peridot waves a hand in the general direction of the living room, "Them."</p><p> </p><p>It takes a second for him to realize exactly who she's talking about, but his face falls when it clicks. He turns his head over to the painting of him as an angel with Garnet that hangs on his wall. Peridot follows his eyes and takes in the sight of the painting. The green gem's eyes widen slightly. Her fists clench reflexively by her sides, before she realizes and relaxes them again.</p><p> </p><p>"Stars above…" Peridot whispers, "You haven't talked to them. They're the problem, aren't they?"</p><p> </p><p>Steven nods his head solemnly. "At first they treated me like I was Rose, always made me feel like I had to live up to her seemingly impossible standard. They were distant when I needed them, when I wanted them. You know the Together Breakfast?"</p><p> </p><p>"That abominable concoction of sugar and carbs?" Peridot grimaces at the memories of the dish, if it can even be called that. </p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, that." Steven chuckles. "You know I made that just because I wanted them to hang out with me? How messed up is that?"</p><p> </p><p>"Very," Peridot replies honestly, "Stars, that was how it was, wasn't it? If there wasn't something for you to fix, you were just kind of left alone, brushed to the side. You feel like you only existed and mattered to them when you had something to fix, because that's all you ever did."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah…" Steven nods, "That's how it was, and with basically every encounter I had with gems started with them trying to kill me, no one ever said anything about it. I had nightmares for weeks after some of those things."</p><p> </p><p>Peridot abruptly stands up and places her hands on Steven's shoulders, boring her eyes directly into his with heartfelt emotion in her voice. "Steven, there is so much wrong with what you just said that I don't even know where to begin. They never brought up that almost being killed regularly isn't normal? They never tried to help you like you helped them?"</p><p> </p><p>Tears slowly stream down his face. "No…"</p><p> </p><p>Peridot feels like she's just been struck by the sheer weight of his confirmation. No one ever helped him. Yellow Diamond's lightning hurts less than the confession. That can't be true, she refuses to believe it.</p><p> </p><p>"Not with the Cluster, the Diamonds, Homeworld, the fusion monsters, Malachite, Jasper, the corrupted gems?" She asks, praying to the moon goddess that it isn't true. She had nightmares for weeks after the Cluster, and she doesn't sleep. Jasper still makes her nervous.</p><p> </p><p>"None of them." He chokes out. "Amethyst tried once, right after we found out mom was Pink Diamond. Ruby ran away and she kept trying to distract me from it, she told me she didn't want to put another thousand year old complex on me. Aside from that, they never tried."</p><p> </p><p>Peridot doesn't recognize the emotion that simmers in her gem. It's a rolling boil of fury at Garnet and Pearl, restrained because at least Amethyst tried. It's heartbreaking because no one was there for him, the one who was always there for everyone. It's full of horror and grief because he deserves so much more than what he's gotten. There's an anger to it because he deserves so much better and gotten nothing, he saved the galaxy and barely got even a lousy shirt for it.</p><p> </p><p>It's full of wrath because not once did he mention his dad in any of it. She may not understand everything about humans, but she does know what role a father is supposed to have.</p><p> </p><p>'Different parental figures parent differently, 5XG, focus on Steven for now. I can throw Greg off a roof again later.' Peridot thinks to herself, 'Or I can find Jasper, tell her that Greg hurt her Diamond, and let what happens, happen. I'll just say I was with Bismuth at the time, Lapis will cover for me.'</p><p> </p><p>She moves in to hug him, not trusting her voice to not start yelling at the injustices. He returns the hug, not trusting his voice either as tears roll down his cheeks. The last time he cried like this was because of Blue Diamond's powers flaring up. They sit there on his bed in silence for a few minutes, calming down slowly as they bring their emotions back in. His bed is soft, but to Peridot it feels like lies.</p><p> </p><p>"Here's an idea for you, Steven." Peridot starts after she feels calm enough, "You can come stay with Lapis, Bismuth, and I in our apartment to get away from the others for as long as you need. We'll try to help you however we can."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I couldn't," Steven stutters out, "I wouldn't want to impose."</p><p> </p><p>"Nonsense," Peridot reassures, "Besides, you've helped us with all our problems. I think it's about time someone helped you with yours. You never gave up on me for some reason I still don't understand, I'll do the same for you."</p><p> </p><p>Steven chokes up again, "Thank you."</p><p> </p><p>"Of course."</p><p> </p><p>As the two hug, they fail to notice their gems glowing and chiming in sync. In a flash of light, their bodies merge into one, standing slightly shorter than Peridot. Their hair spikes out wildly in every direction, like a permanent static charge. Their gold visor is split into two connected diamonds, covering their four eyes. Steven's blue shirt is like a large dress on the short fusion. His pants don't even pretend to fit them, falling immediately to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>"Awww, yeah! Electrum is in the house!" The newly named fusion, Electrum, calls out to no one before feeling the breeze against their legs, "Aw, beans! My pants!" They exclaim, rapidly attempting to make the sweatpants fit in any way possible, "Man, this is rad. Weird that I'm in a good mood like this, but I wonder what I can do?"</p><p> </p><p>Electrum focuses on summoning their weapon, just out of the curiosity of it. From their gems, a long, flat, pink metal board emerges. Electrum looks at the board in confusion before tossing it on the floor, eyes widening in glee as it floats.</p><p> </p><p>"Holy schist!" Electrum exclaims, "I've got a hoverboard, the perfect mode of transportation for two emotionally compromised gems! You can't possibly be sad on a hoverboard!"</p><p> </p><p>"Steven needs a Bismuth hug and Peridot needs a Lapis hug, pronto! To the apartment!" Electrum enthusiastically poses and dramatically cries, running down the stairs, board in hand.</p><p> </p><p>When they get outside, they throw the board down and bolt off zooming towards Little Homeworld.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Bismuth Casual</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Bismuth and Steven have a long talk while Peridot vents to Lapis.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Honey, I'm home!" Electrum barges into the apartment with exuberance.</p><p> </p><p>"Peri, you've been watching too many…" Lapis starts before drifting off at the unfamiliarly short fusion. She recognizes the components immediately, but it takes her a minute to process what exactly is in front of her. "Bismuth, get in here, you'll wanna see this!" The blue gem calls into the other room.</p><p> </p><p>"What's this about?" Bismuth walks into the room confusedly before her eyes lock onto the fusion, recognizing the parts instantly. "Hey, Goldie, what's your name?" Bismuth greets welcomingly.</p><p> </p><p>"Electrum!" The fusion replies with a manic grin, bouncing on the balls of their feet excitedly, "Steven had some nightmares about being left behind and not being able to be a friend without something to fix and Peridot got filled with a weird mixture of anger and sadness and stuff and then I showed up so they didn't have to think about it! Cool, right? Peridot prescribed Steven a heaping dose of Bismuth and herself a dose of Lapis, so when I go away I recommend getting that set up! I'll go when you want me to so they can actually deal with their stuff, but I exist now!"</p><p> </p><p>"Uhhhh…" Lapis cleverly responds to the torrent of information that was just dropped on her.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm a coping mechanism!" Electrum beams, "Now watch as I disappear!"</p><p> </p><p>With a snap of the fingers and a burst of light, Electrum vanishes, leaving Peridot and Steven dazed on the floor. Peridot has swirls in her eyes while Steven looks like he's still mentally back at the temple.</p><p> </p><p>"Peridot?" Steven grumbles out, dazed from the act of being Electrum.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah?" Peridot replies, her unfocused eyes glued to the wood panel ceiling.</p><p> </p><p>"That was awesome." Steven says, his voice distantly trying to process the fact that he's now at her apartment, "But that was so exhausting."</p><p> </p><p>"Agreed."</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth and Lapis blink at them blankly, still processing the info dump they received from Electrum. It seems their fusion has no filter, they doubt half of that information would have gotten out otherwise. Lapis is the first to break out of her stupor, breaking the silence and making the pile of things to deal with a little smaller.</p><p> </p><p>"We'll give you two some privacy." Lapis says, bringing Bismuth back to reality before locking eyes with Peridot and tilting her head towards the green gem's room. Peridot nods as she pulls herself off the ground.</p><p> </p><p>Lapis and Peridot head around the corner as Bismuth steps over to and drops herself comfortably on the sofa. The blacksmith and the hybrid watch the hallway until they hear the distinct click of Peridot's door closing. Bismuth nods to herself as she focuses her gaze on Steven.</p><p> </p><p>"Wanna watch some 'Deadliest Catch' while we talk?" Bismuth asks now that they have some privacy, grabbing the remote off the coffee table and tapping the spot next to her, "Give you something to look at if you just can't look at me while you let it all out."</p><p> </p><p>"You like 'Deadliest Catch'?" Steven dazedly asks, "Since when?"</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth shrugs, "Greg showed me one day when I was taking a break from working on Little Homeworld, I watched three seasons in a row, and I've liked it ever since. It's a nice change of pace from the forge, and Lapis and Peridot like it too."</p><p> </p><p>"I'll watch it." It's Steven's turn to shrug as he walks over and takes a seat on the sofa next to the blacksmith.</p><p> </p><p>Steven takes a moment to look around the apartment. The sofa he's sitting on is easily the most comfortable thing he's been on in ages. The walls are a beautiful sky blue, white clouds dotted around that must be Lapis' work. An orange sunset is painted in the corner, complimenting the rest of the decorum. Potted plants sit in each corner, laced with a gold trim. He recognizes some hydrangeas and chrysanthemums, but not the rest. The shag carpet is a sandy white that makes him feel slightly at ease.</p><p> </p><p>The rug in the shape of Bismuth's logo really ties the room together.</p><p> </p><p>To the side, he can see the big, open kitchen. He guesses that either Lapis or Bismuth uses it most. All the wood in the apartment seems to be purpleheart, which he finds interesting. The coffee table is solid, with a glossy protective coating on it that Steven assumes is because Peridot might spill things occasionally. Smaller tables sit against the walls with framed photos of the three gems being friends.</p><p> </p><p>"So what's goin' on in that little head of yours, meatball?" Bismuth asks, pulling Steven's attention to her, "Electrum said something about nightmares about not being able to be a good friend and feeling like you have to fix everything?"</p><p> </p><p>"It just seems like everyone is moving on to bigger and better things, while I'm just stuck unable to deal with the change." Steven admits, unable to stop himself, "There's nothing left to fight, nothing to fix. My whole life has been nothing but fixing things, now that it's all over…"</p><p> </p><p>"You feel like you have no purpose." Bismuth finishes for him, earning a surprised look from the hybrid, "Era 3 syndrome, feeling like you have no purpose or direction now that everything's peaceful without the Diamond Authority. Lotta gems that used to be in White's Court took the adjustment rougher than others. Yellow and Blue's Courts also had that problem, but they took the change a little easier."</p><p> </p><p>"And now, some of my powers are going out of control." Steven shyly admits, "I keep turning pink and pulling out the destructive powers Pink Diamond had and it's just," He waves his hands around in front of him vaguely, "Ngah, you know?"</p><p> </p><p>"I think I get you," Bismuth nods, used to translating various vague noises into emotions from living with Lapis and Peridot. Ngah, the noise of vague frustration, not to be confused with Mnng, the noise of overwhelming exhaustion.</p><p> </p><p>"Mom was such an awful person and now I'm stuck-" Steven says, a pink glow starting to slowly chime around him.</p><p> </p><p>"Steven, your mom wasn't a great person, but she became a good one in the end." Bismuth says bluntly, cutting him off. The pink glow vanishes in his surprise.</p><p> </p><p>"Wha-"</p><p> </p><p>"Tell me the stories you were told about her, in the order you were told them." The blacksmith cuts off, trying to make a point.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, Pink-"</p><p> </p><p>"Nope. I said the order you were told them. What's the first thing you were told about Rose?"</p><p> </p><p>"How good of a person she was?" Steven says cautiously.</p><p> </p><p>"And what came next?"</p><p> </p><p>"Finding out she was a war criminal, and then that she's shattered gems." Steven recounts.</p><p> </p><p>"Alright, and you do know that Pearl and Garnet shattered a few as well, right? Most Crystal Gems in the war did, even if it was just an accident on the field. There is a lot of dust on a lot of hands because of that war."</p><p> </p><p>Steven stills. He hadn't thought of that before, but he knows deep down in his heart that Bismuth is absolutely right.</p><p> </p><p>"What came next?" Bismuth asks.</p><p> </p><p>"Finding out Rose was Pink Diamond." Steven answers, "And then finding out about why the war started, and now I just seem to keep finding out more and more awful things she did."</p><p> </p><p>"Because you have the story in reverse." Bismuth says matter-of-factly.</p><p> </p><p>"What?"</p><p> </p><p>"Here's a quick summary of the Pink Quartz story, from beginning to end." Bismuth recounts, "Pink Diamond sucked, and the other Diamonds treated her like schist, making her do more things that sucked out of anger. Eventually she was given the Earth, and saw the beauty of life and the damage her invasion was causing. She went to the other Diamonds wanting to stop the colonization, but they told her no. Rose Quartz was born out of love for the Earth, and the Crystal Gems were born out of wanting gems to be free of the Diamonds. Gems were shattered on both sides of the war, that's just how war is. It sucks. Pink faked her shattering, causing the other Diamonds to shine a corrupting light on the Earth. Six thousand years later, you were born."</p><p> </p><p>Steven is dead silent. He knows Bismuth is right.</p><p> </p><p>"The Rose Quartz I remember from the war was a good gem. She loved the Earth, she loved all gems, she wanted to help everyone she met even if it hurt her, she hated shattering gems and would cry over their shards for hours after a battle." Bismuth explains, "She hated Pink Diamond, and I  mean she absolutely loathed her. She knew Pink was bad, and she worked tirelessly to be better than Pink ever was. Did Rose do bad things? Yes, absolutely. We all did."</p><p> </p><p>"That doesn't make her innocent." Steven retorts weakly.</p><p> </p><p>"There's very little in terms of innocence in war, and she started one, Steven. No one is all good, and no one is all bad." Bismuth replies simply. "I'm not saying you can't have hard feelings towards her, hell, I still do. You don't have to like her. What I am saying is, if you strip her down to just Good or Bad, you miss out on who she was. She was good, and bad, but she was growing and changing every day. Doesn't make up for what she did, and she hurt a lot of people, but that doesn't mean she didn't try or care."</p><p> </p><p>Steven doesn't know how to respond to that. He remembers saying something very similar to Amethyst before she tried to keep him from helping Ruby.</p><p> </p><p>"Steven, being compared to your mother isn't a bad thing, not necessarily. You're not her, but being like her isn't the end of the world. She was good just as much as she was bad. It just depends on what's being compared." Bismuth says gently, ruffling the boy's hair slightly, "You're just like all the things that made Rose good, with none of the bad parts. You ended the rule of the Diamond Authority, basically taming White Diamond and wrapping the three of them around your finger. You ended the gem war and cured the corrupted gems. You're just like all of the good things about her, but you're so much better than her."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess I am kinda like her, aren't I?" Steven shuffles in his seat uncomfortably. He's spent all of his life being compared to his mom, and while Bismuth is making some good points, the idea doesn't sit well with him.</p><p> </p><p>"But you also have one of her bad parts." Bismuth carefully broaches, "You live to help others, which is good, but you do it at the expense of yourself. You don't let people help you with your problems because you make yourself too busy dealing with their problems, I saw Rose fall apart because of that too many times to count. You shouldn't have had to deal with half of the problems you've dealt with, and some of those problems you've fixed are probably gonna stick with you forever. I still have war nightmares, most Crystal Gems do."</p><p> </p><p>Steven looks at Bismuth with an accepting sadness in his eyes, "What does it mean?"</p><p> </p><p>"It means you've been hurt badly in ways that never really heal." Bismuth explains, "It means that you need help, which the three of us are definitely going to give you, even if you don't want it. You need and deserve help and a true Crystal Gem never leaves a friend to suffer on their own. You mentioned losing control of some of your powers earlier, aren't they all based on your emotions and desires and all that? When does that pink power show up?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah?" Steven replies, not picking up the silent explanation Bismuth is putting down. </p><p> </p><p>The blacksmith looks at Steven, silently urging him to figure it out himself and put the pieces together. It takes the boy a few moments, but realization dawns on his face.</p><p> </p><p>"If my powers are tied to my emotions, then the pink power is no different." Steven whispers, his eyes widening slightly as he speaks, "They've shown up when I was mad about something Pink did, scared that people were leaving me, and generally other stressful situations."</p><p> </p><p>"Which means…" Bismuth coaxes, nodding in approval of Steven's thought process so far.</p><p> </p><p>"Deal with why those situations are making me turn pink, and the pink power will be controllable!" Steven grins, "I won't have to be afraid of my own powers anymore if I deal with why they're flaring up in the first place!"</p><p> </p><p>"Got it in one, meatball!" Bismuth chuckles proudly, "Probably gonna have to see a human doctor at some point to figure out the exact cause, as well as how to deal with the complicated emotions and all, but you've got it! You might need some therapy too, but it's nothing to be ashamed of."</p><p> </p><p>"Need therapy?" Steven worriedly asks, his gem glowing faintly.</p><p> </p><p>"Relax little buddy, therapy's not a bad thing!" Bismuth reassures, "A decent number of the gems here in Little Homeworld see the therapist in Beach City. There have been a couple cases where gems would relapse and self corrupt, not too many, but enough to really think about it. If corruption is basically a tear in the mind, why not send gems to someone qualified to help with mental issues?"</p><p> </p><p>"Really?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, a few of them are even studying to be able to do the same job. We sent every previously corrupted gem through once as a trial thing, and a bunch of them liked it enough to get regular appointments set up afterwards. Heck, even I've been. Coping with war memories and all."</p><p> </p><p>"If you say so…" Steven replies apprehensively.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry for doing this, but going back to things that shouldn't have happened to you, the three of us trying to kill you is on that list." Bismuth guiltily admits, causing Steven's energy to fade slightly, "Joking about it during the Spinel incident wasn't right either. I'm not saying this next part as an excuse, but back in the war, you almost had to be able to joke about things like that. If you couldn't, you'd never be able to push on. It's not alright that any of it happen, and I'm not going to ask you to forgive any of us. I just want you to know that I'm sorry about it, and I know they are too."</p><p> </p><p>"Apology accepted." Steven says quietly, feeling slightly lighter from hearing it. In all honesty, he has barely thought twice of it. Everything at the time was so busy, it all blended together into a blur of havoc.</p><p> </p><p>Several minutes pass in comfortable silence. The only sounds in the room are from the tv, until Peridot's voice sounds through the room, causing Steven to flinch.</p><p> </p><p>"WE WEREN'T THERE FOR HIM EITHER, LAPIS!" They hear coming from Peridot's room.</p><p> </p><p>"They'll be fine, Steven." Bismuth reassures, "Peridot probably just needed to let some stuff out. We care about you, you know."</p><p> </p><p>"I shouldn't have said anything." Steven responds, looking down at his feet as Bismuth pulls him a little closer.</p><p> </p><p>"She's only getting so worked up because she cares about you, Steven." Bismuth replies, genuine care and softness in her voice, "When you love someone like family, their pain will become your pain, and that's a good thing. You don't have to go through this alone, the three of us are here for you."</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth wraps an arm around Steven, pulling him in for a hug. The stress in Steven's body seems to melt under the blacksmith's warm embrace. In the back of his mind, he wonders if Bismuth is naturally that warm or if it's just because of the forge.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you." Steven thanks.</p><p> </p><p>"Not a problem, meatball." Bismuth smiles softly, "Not a problem at all."</p><p> </p><p>☆◇☆</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, in Peridot's room.</p><p> </p><p>"How bad is it?" Lapis asks, leaning against Peridot's bed.</p><p> </p><p>"Diamond Green, kinda Diamond White but mostly Diamond Green." Peridot responds, her voice sounding more drained than ever. She flops herself into her alien print beanbag and sighs.</p><p> </p><p>"Ouch, Diamond Green." Lapis grimaces, "Need anything before you start?"</p><p> </p><p>"No, but thank you." Peridot smiles weakly before cutting to the chase, "Did you know Steven can broadcast his dreams?"</p><p> </p><p>"He can?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," Peridot says, burying her head in her hands, "At first we just wanted to try and make a better version of that awful CPH reboot, but things got out of hand and it just, mmmmnnngg."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh?"</p><p> </p><p>"Blue Diamond was a dolphin, Yellow Diamond was a pineapple, White Diamond's feet were there, Rodrigo became a dog among other things, and things just spiraled from there." Peridot explains, sinking into her beanbag even more, "I thought it was just dreams being weird, but then Obsidian showed up with Connie's face and crushed him under her foot. Dream Steven woke up from being crushed in his old house and he chased after me, talking about how he doesn't know how to be a friend without fixing stuff. When he turned dream me around, I looked so distant. My gem and visor had static and that 'technical difficulties' screen on them. He woke up crying."</p><p> </p><p>"Yellow Diamond was a pineapple? Okay I need to add that to my future morps list." Lapis grins amusedly before she shakes her head back to a serious expression. "But really, he said that about himself?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," Peridot nods, "He said that. It breaks my heart because, stars Lapis, he has so many problems. He's so broken and no one has noticed. He needs so much help and hasn't gotten anything, and with how much he's helped everyone in the past..."</p><p> </p><p>Peridot gently bangs her head back against the wall in tired frustration as she squeezes her eyes tight, trying to hold back the tears.</p><p> </p><p>"None of them were there for him and that," Peridot pauses for a second, taking her visor off and running her hand down her face, "That's just so wrong. He's helped everyone he's basically ever met, the Diamonds included, and no one was there for him. Not his gems, not his dad, not his human friends, no one."</p><p> </p><p>Lapis nods as she makes a vague sound of agreement, not wanting to interrupt the green gem. The blue gem's face betrays no emotions, but her clenched fists say enough.</p><p> </p><p>"Not even Greg was really there, and he was supposed to!" Peridot tries to hold back a yell, "Diamonds lead, Bismuths build, and dads are there for their kids! I know the analogy is pre-Era 3, but being there for Steven is his job! I've thrown Greg off a roof before and I'm tempted to do it again, but I won't. Steven still cares about him and if anything happened to Greg it'd destroy him, he doesn't need that."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah." Lapis nods, holding her emotions and thoughts in on a tight leash. What Steven's been through is an absolute injustice she thinks. To think that all this time, Steven's been suffering like she did, feeling trapped and alone… </p><p>Her eye twitches against her will, but quickly she schools her face back to its neutral expression. Peridot needs to let this out, and the blue gem needs time to process the information.</p><p> </p><p>"And you know what's worse?" Peridot shakily asks, her voice getting tense as if she's holding back a lot of feelings.</p><p> </p><p>"What is?"</p><p> </p><p>"WE WEREN'T THERE FOR HIM EITHER, LAPIS!" Peridot yells, heavy emotion lacing her voice, "He's needed us for so long as where were we? You were probably on the moon while I was watching CPH is where! He needed us, he needed someone, and we weren't there for him."</p><p> </p><p>Peridot stands, her form looking like it's been sapped of all its fight.</p><p> </p><p>"And you know what, Lapis?" Peridot asks quietly, looking directly into the Blue gem's eyes, "I'm done not being there. By stars, he needs us and I will do everything in my power to be there for him!"</p><p> </p><p>"I'll be right there with you." Lapis agrees, knowing fully well what it's like to suffer alone.</p><p> </p><p>She's not going to let Steven suffer the same way.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Plans for the Future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Bismuth, Peridot, and Lapis discuss how they're going to move forward with the Steven situation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steven falls asleep on the couch next to Bismuth in less than five minutes.</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth sighs. She didn't want to drain him that much with the conversation, but it had to happen. She feels like they barely even talked about his problems, more about Rose, the war, and anything else. His Era 3 syndrome should be easy enough to handle</p><p> </p><p>PTSD and powers that are connected to his emotional state. Bismuth quietly chuckles mirthlessly, if that doesn't get taken care of soon, there's no way that's going to end well, especially with the fact that he's got the power of a Diamond in that gem of his.</p><p> </p><p>One bad day and there might not be a Little Homeworld anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Looking at him asleep, though, and he looks nothing like the world ending time bomb waiting to happen. He just looks like a kid who's had too much weight put on his shoulders from too young of an age. Even in his sleep, he looks bone tired.</p><p> </p><p>He's just a kid. </p><p> </p><p>A scared kid that feels lost and afraid of his own powers. </p><p> </p><p>Bismuth feels a pang of sadness in her gem at the thought. He really shouldn't have had to do half the things he has. She barely notices the tear flowing gently down her cheek. She wipes it away.</p><p> </p><p>Electrum mentioned that he feels like he doesn't know how to be a good friend right before they mentioned how he feels like he always has to fix things. While it never really came up, Bismuth has a theory about what exactly he means.</p><p> </p><p>He's always had something to fix, even with his friends. If he's always been fixing things, even with them, who's to say that he knows how to be a friend without something to fix? She figures that's why, the two issues are related. Because he's always been fixing things with his friends, when there's nothing to fix, he's not sure how to be a friend.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe some time with the local Quartzes could do him some good? They get along with everyone. Some more human friends could maybe do him some good, Lapis can help with that.</p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, Bismuth can hear Peridot's door opening, followed by some footsteps. The sound of a silent sine wave chimes from the hall, followed by the sounds of a celeste as Lapis's room opens. Peridot just barely enters the living room when Bismuth catches her attention.</p><p> </p><p>"Psst, Peridot." Bismuth whispers, "Can you grab a blanket from the hall closet? Steven's out like a light."</p><p> </p><p>Peridot flashes the blacksmith a thumbs up as she turns to the closet, quietly opening it and retrieving the softest one she can find. She slings the blue blanket over her shoulders as she quietly closes the closet door. When she reaches the sofa, she throws the impossibly soft blanket over the sleeping hybrid who's done so much for all of them.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, tiny, confirm a theory for me real quick?" Bismuth asks, the green gem as she settles into her spot on the sofa.</p><p> </p><p>"Ask away." Peridot shrugs.</p><p> </p><p>"He feels like he can't be a good friend without something to fix, right?" The blacksmith ventures, "It never really came up that much, we talked more about his feelings towards Rose and Pink, as well as his potential PTSD and seeing a therapist about it."</p><p> </p><p>"Hit the nail on the head." Peridot confirms with a whisper. She doesn't hear the celeste of Lapis's door opening, neither does Bismuth.</p><p> </p><p>"Schist…" Bismuth mutters, shaking her head, "I think some time with the Quartz Crew might do him some good before we take him to a doc to get all of that taken care of. Maybe Lapis can introduce him to some of her human friends at some point, that's up to her. I don't want to put too much on him all at once, but his powers are tied to his emotions and what he's feeling."</p><p> </p><p>"Combine that with the potential PTSD, and you have a recipe for disaster." Peridot whispers, horror slowly dawning on her face as she pictures the worst case scenario in her mind.</p><p> </p><p>"Got it in one, tiny." Bismuth nods quietly, "Stressing him out too much all at once might just make everything worse, that's why I want to kinda take it slow and easy for a couple days before getting him to a doctor. Maybe a week before we try to get a doctor involved."</p><p> </p><p>"I agree, some time should do some good." Peridot nods, turning her attention to the hall after hearing some footsteps.</p><p> </p><p>Lapis quietly trudges into the room, her hair unusually messy. When she reaches the couch, she sprawls out over Peridot's and Steven's laps, her legs dangling over the side.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you think about this whole situation, Lapis?" Peridot asks, trying to just get everything out of the way and have it figured out.</p><p> </p><p>Lapis sighs, "I guess I see a lot of myself in it, I dunno." She casts a look to the left in his direction, "He's suffered quietly for so long and no one noticed until it basically got pointed out with flashing lights. It kinda reminds me of the mirror, you know? That trapped and lonely feeling and all."</p><p> </p><p>"I think I get it." Bismuth nods.</p><p> </p><p>"And it sucks, because it's not like it doesn't make sense." Lapis grits out quietly, mindful of the sleeping boy under her head, "Most gems involved in the war have some deep issues left over from it all, hell my last therapy appointment was yesterday."</p><p> </p><p>"How was it, by the way?" Peridot asks.</p><p> </p><p>"Pretty good, all things considered."</p><p> </p><p>"That's good, I'm glad it's going well for you."</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks."</p><p> </p><p>The trio lapse into a comfortable silence. They all know that Steven needs help, and they think their plan might be able to help him.</p><p> </p><p>"So," Bismuth starts, breaking the silence, "When he wakes up, what do you think we should do for dinner?"</p><p> </p><p>Peridot hums, "Well, he has mentioned being a vegetarian recently, so something that fits in there for sure. I'm pretty sure it's that thing where you don't eat meat."</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe some kind of soup?" Lapis suggests, "I saw a recipe in the book for a lentil soup that might be pretty good. Not sure if it's vegetarian or not, but it shouldn't be too hard to fix if it is."</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth cocks her head to the side in thought. A grin forms on her face as she nods, "Yeah, I think that sounds pretty good."</p><p> </p><p>He's just a scared kid who needs someone.</p><p> </p><p>Steven's done so much for them, and they'll do anything for him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dinner and Some Shows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gems inform Steven of the plan over dinner and some TV.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steven wakes up to the mouthwatering aroma of freshly made soup and Lapis gently shaking his arm.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Steven," She softly coaxes, "Time to get up, dinner's ready."</p><p> </p><p>Steven stretches as he gets up. He follows the terraformer into the kitchen, the lovely aroma of the meal flooding his senses.</p><p> </p><p>Steven begins running the ladle through the pot of soup, giving it a quick check for any meat. Recent incidents concerning his healing spit make him hesitant to even think about touching meat, and he's not sure if they know if he's vegetarian.</p><p> </p><p>"It's vegetarian." Lapis confirms his silent question, earning herself a surprised look from the boy while she makes herself a bowl, "You mentioned it a while back, so we made sure to keep this alright for you. I hope it turned out okay, it's the first time we've tried that recipe."</p><p> </p><p>Steven feels a spark of an unusual warmth in his chest as he makes himself a bowl of the soup. He grabs a slice of the bread the Gems made yesterday to go with it. The two move over to the table where Peridot and Bismuth are sitting and join them.</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth leads the four in a quick prayer to the Moon Goddess. When they finish, Steven brings the spoon to his mouth and as soon as the broth touches his tongue, he feels his taste buds explode in pleasure. A pleased hum frees itself from him without a second thought. A proud grin shines on the gems' faces at the sight. It looks like the new recipe turned out well.</p><p> </p><p>The four of them eat in relative silence, only making light conversation about various nothings. It's peaceful, Steven finds. There's no pressure, no expectations, no arguments over petty things, just everyone truly sharing a space and being friends. As they finish their meal, Bismuth speaks up.</p><p> </p><p>"Alright, Steven." Bismuth brings her hands together as she starts, "Here's how we're going to take care of the situation concerning your problems. First, you're staying with us for a while. We don't want you surrounded by stress, so you're going to stay here so you can take a load off."</p><p> </p><p>"But-" Steven tries to argue.</p><p> </p><p>"If you're going to say anything about Little Homeschool, I'm going to stop you right there. You're retired." Bismuth cuts him off.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay…" Steven accepts.</p><p> </p><p>"Second, we're taking you to a doctor to get you a therapist and some human help." The blacksmith explains, making Steven pale slightly from anxiety, "Not today or tomorrow, but soon. You need to see one, but we don't want to put you under more stress than you've already got for right now. So we're going to take some time to unwind first before we start messing with that."</p><p> </p><p>"Alright." Steven hesitantly nods, trying to reign his anxiety in. Bismuth takes this as her cue to continue.</p><p> </p><p>"Third, the three of us are going to take you out to spend some time with some new gems and humans." Bismuth informs the boy, "We all think spending some time around some different people might do you some good. Speaking of, that one Nephrite's been talking about visiting you lately, maybe we could pay her a visit instead?"</p><p> </p><p>"Centi's been asking about me?"</p><p> </p><p>"Sure has," Bismuth nods, "You've been busy, so we told her that we'll see when we can get you to take some time off. Now that we're making you have some time off, I think the two of you should spend some time together."</p><p> </p><p>"I think that'd be nice." Steven agrees.</p><p> </p><p>"Finally," Bismuth says, clasping her hands back together and she levels her eyes with Steven as she tries to get this over with, "We are going to make sure you take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. I don't know if you being around Pearl and the others would be a great idea for now, so I won't bother with them." </p><p> </p><p>Steven lets out a sigh of relief at that. Honestly, being around the gems is getting more and more stressful. Little things that used to not be an issue becoming more and more bothersome. He figures he can just make something up about wanting to spend some time with friends for a little while, get a change in scenery.</p><p> </p><p>"But," Bismuth gives the hybrid a firm look, "If all else fails, we are not above inviting Blue Diamond over for sappy romance movies and telling her that you're not taking care of yourself. We all know that she'll dote on you for hours without end."</p><p> </p><p>"How would she even fit?" Steven questions, disbelief rich in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>"Shapeshifting, she's done it before." Bismuth explains, "She came by one day with Yellow a while back out of curiosity. Bit of shapeshifting later and we gave the two of them a full tour of the town. Are we clear about everything?"</p><p> </p><p>"I think so, yeah." Steven nods.</p><p> </p><p>"Good." Bismuth relaxes, "Now, I don't know about you, but I think a few good movies are in order." </p><p> </p><p>The blacksmith rises from her chair, walking around the side of the table and picking the hybrid up. Lapis follows in suit, picking up the bowls and taking them to the sink to wash them. As Bismuth carries Steven back into the living room, Peridot follows.</p><p> </p><p>Bismuth holds him in a T pose as Peridot uses her metal powers to bring a blanket over to her. With a few wide gestures, she orients the comforting cloth square and begins to wrap him in it, leaving his arms free to move while Steven becomes a blanket burrito from the chest down. Bismuth sets him down on the sofa, slinging her left arm around the back of the seat as Lapis comes back into the room.</p><p> </p><p>"You guys know I could just stand up, right?" Steven asks exasperatedly.</p><p> </p><p>Lapis's form glows, shifting and shrinking down into the shape of a fluffy cat. Cat Lapis paws over to Steven's lap and curls up on it, smugly grinning at the hybrid. Peridot scoots in closer to Steven as Lapis settles into her new spot.</p><p> </p><p>"You know the rules." Cat Lapis teases.</p><p> </p><p>Steven looks blankly at the gem curled up on his lap. He sighs. Lapis chuckles and sticks her tongue out at him.</p><p> </p><p>Absentmindedly, Steven starts to pet the blue gem. Lapis purrs under his touch, sinking into his hands like her body is jelly.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Peridot?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p> </p><p>"How'd you move the blanket over here, I thought you only had metal powers?" Steven inquires.</p><p> </p><p>"Small metal beads sewn into the corners." Peridot explains, "A few of the local Pebbles ended up helping with that, as well as some bits of help just all around."</p><p> </p><p>"Huh, cool." Steven states.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, there's a whole bunch of them down the hall in 704. We even put some Pebble sized doors in for them so they could get around easier."</p><p> </p><p>Steven looks over at the door to the main hall. On the bottom, there's a door just the right size for some Pebbles to comfortably use it. Steven can't stop the smile from forming, the sight is just too adorable.</p><p> </p><p>"So, what movie do ya wanna watch, meatball?" Bismuth asks, setting the tv to Peridot's hacked Gemflix server, "Tiny's made sure we've got anything and everything, so take your pick!"</p><p> </p><p>"Any suggestions?" The boy asks, not really sure where to start with that many options.</p><p> </p><p>"Toy Story?" Bismuth suggests with a slight shrug.</p><p> </p><p>"Is it any good?" Steves asks, eliciting a gasp from Peridot.</p><p> </p><p>"You've never seen Toy Story?" Peridot asks incredulously.</p><p> </p><p>"I mean, I've heard of it, but I haven't seen it." Steven confirms, much to the green gem's horror.</p><p> </p><p>"Stars, it's worse than I thought," Peridot whispers in mock horror, "Doctor Bismuth, I diagnose our patient with acute Noclassicsitis!"</p><p> </p><p>"Three movies of pure feel good moments, coming right up!" Bismuth dramatically cries, setting the first movie to play as they laugh at their antics.</p><p> </p><p>The trio spend hours sitting there in each others' company, watching the main trilogy of Toy Story movies. Steven sits, watching intently with an innocently content smile on his face as he sits with the gems like he imagines he would with family. He briefly wonders where that thought came from before shoving it to the side for later.</p><p> </p><p>By the end of the third movie, Steven and Peridot are sobbing and holding each other while Bismuth outright bawls with a sniffling Cat Lapis gently cradled in her arms.</p><p> </p><p>The blacksmith eventually has to leave for the forge, but otherwise she stays right there next to him the entire time.</p><p> </p><p>Steven drifts off to sleep, an unfamiliar warmth blossoming in his chest and a smile on his face.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>